The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 (vawa 2013) to develop and…

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $600,000 Project Grant under the Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations (CFDA 16.889) program to Noor Family Services Corp in Suwanee, Georgia. The three-year grant, running from October 2024 to September 2027, will enable Noor Family Services to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate legal services, victim advocacy, and community education to immigrant and refugee populations experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the Metro Atlanta area. Key activities funded by the grant include hiring a full-time Community Outreach and Education Director and a full-time Community Advocate, providing bilingual victim advocacy and legal assistance services, and developing multilingual guidelines and client resources. The grant aims to strengthen the capacity of Noor Family Services to deliver population-specific victim services and improve community responses to gender-based violence within underserved populations.

The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 (vawa 2013) to develop and implement outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations, and to provide victim services to meet the needs of such populations. Grant funds may be used to: 1) work with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, agencies, and organizations to develop or enhance population specific victim services; 2) strengthen the capacity of underserved populations to provide population specific victim services; 3) strengthen the capacity of traditional victim service providers to provide population specific victim services; 4) strengthen the effectiveness of criminal and civil justice interventions by providing training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other court personnel on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations; 5) work in cooperation with an underserved population to develop and implement outreach, education, prevention, and intervention strategies that highlight available resources and the specific issues faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking from underserved populations; or, 6) strengthen the response of social and human services by providing population-specific training for service providers on domestic violence, dating violence sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. Eligible applicants are limited to: population specific organizations or victim service providers that are (1) deaf programs (2) lesbian, GAY, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organizations, (3) organizations serving underserved religious populations, (4) disability programs, or (5) organizations serving certain underserved racial and ethnic populations. Noor family services corporation (NFS) has worked for nearly a decade to facilitate and improve domestic violence response to immigrant and refugee communities in the metro atlanta, georgia area. To continue this work, NFS will hire one full time community outreach and education director to provide training within local schools and community events utilizing peaceful futures curriculum on healthy relationships for muslim youth. NFS will hire one full time community advocate to attend community events and provide resource referrals to individuals. NFS will provide bilingual victim advocacy and legal assistance services. Guidelines for legal services and a client legal handbook will be provided in multiple languages for accessible and culturally competent client care.